In Conversation with Susan Stryker and Shon Faye

Join us for a landmark conversation bringing together two of the most influential voices in trans history, journalism and political thought to explore the past, present and future of trans liberation.

For decades, Susan Stryker has been one of the foremost historians of transgender life, helping to establish the field of transgender studies through groundbreaking scholarship, filmmaking and public history. From her foundational book Transgender History to the Emmy Award-winning documentary Screaming Queens, to her latest book, Changing Gender, Susan’s work has transformed our understanding of trans history, demonstrating that trans lives have always been central to the struggle for social justice and collective liberation.

Shon Faye has become one of the defining public intellectuals of a new generation. Her Sunday Times bestselling books The Transgender Issue and Love in Exile have brought nuanced, deeply humane conversations about gender, politics, love and inequality to an international audience, challenging media narratives while reimagining what liberation could look like beyond survival.

Together, Susan and Shon will trace the connections between history and the present moment, examining the evolution of trans activism across the UK and the US, the shifting political and media landscape, and the enduring importance of community, resistance and solidarity. At a time when trans lives are increasingly contested, this timely conversation asks what history can teach us about the challenges of today — and where the movement for trans liberation might go next.

Shon Faye is the author of two Sunday Times bestselling books, The Transgender Issue and Love in Exile.

Susan Stryker is an award-winning historian and filmmaker whose work has shaped conversation on gender and feminism for decades. She holds a visiting Professorship at Stanford University. Previous works include Transgender History, Gay by the Bay, Changing Gender and the Emmy Award-winning documentary Screaming Queens.

This panel is supported by The University of Brighton’s Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics (CAPPE) and the University of Brighton’s Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender (CTSG). The University of Brighton’s Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender (CTSG) focuses its interdisciplinary research on issues relating to sexuality, gender and social change.